


The Magic Shoes (And Two Newfs Who Sniffed Them)

by eafay70



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Cinderella Elements, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, M/M, Male Cinderella
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-06-10 04:19:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19492219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/pseuds/eafay70
Summary: Conor is an omega orphan forced to work as a cruel nobleman's servant. When a costume ball is announced to find a partner for Prince Brian, an alpha looking for love, Conor's magician friend Tom presents him with magic shoes for good luck. Can court magician Muzz and his magic-sniffing Newfs, Leo and Beckham, use the shoes to save the day?





	The Magic Shoes (And Two Newfs Who Sniffed Them)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic uses the following Pens Monthly prompts from May 2017:  
> -trope of the month (alpha/beta/omega dynamics)  
> -kink of the month (dress-up/costumes)  
> -photo of the month ([the sun over a road](https://66.media.tumblr.com/bc549c6227a01237268256e5023ce971/tumblr_inline_opb4robKvn1qmhi28_640.jpg))
> 
> I would like to take this opportunity to express my shock that Matt Murray's dogs didn't already have a tag. =O
> 
> Regarding Jamie's accent in this fic: I'm rather fond of the Texas accent, as I know quite a few people in real life who have it, so I decided to try writing it. I have an in-universe explanation for it that accommodates Jamie not actually being from Texas, but I couldn't find a good place for it in the fic; let me know if you'd like me to share it.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there lived a young man named Conor Sheary. His loving parents, Lord and Lady Sheary, taught him everything there was to know about taking care of the grounds of Sheary Manor; even though an omega like Conor could not directly inherit the lordship, he understood from an early age that he would be an equal partner with his future alpha spouse in running the manor. Whenever Conor saw his alpha father and omega mother romantically interact, he smiled to himself and eagerly anticipated the day when they would find him the person who would interact that way with him.

Sadly, that day never arrived. When Conor was ten years old, he and his parents were driving on an isolated road in the countryside when a larger vehicle suddenly appeared, prompting them to swerve dangerously. Conor never determined what exactly his family's car struck, but the impact caused him to lose consciousness for a week. When he came to, he was informed by a not-quite-balding man in a hideous suit that Lord and Lady Sheary were dead with no known alpha relatives, meaning the lordship had been awarded to this man, Gary Bettman, who was some sort of local official. This meant that Conor no longer had any right to Sheary Manor.

With threats of punishment, Lord Bettman forced Conor to become a servant in his own home, hidden from the many officials who came to visit. Conor began to lose hope that an alpha would ever love him the way his father had loved his mother; after all, how could he meet anyone while under Lord Bettman's control?

* * *

As the years passed, Lord Bettman grew lazier and therefore sent Conor to do the shopping and other chores in town, albeit with orders to not interact with officials or bring anyone to the manor. This led to Conor befriending Tom the Bold-Heeled, a beta magician who moved to the area from a distant land and set up a tailor/shoemaking business. Conor shared the details of his situation with Tom, who struggled to think of ways to help beyond lending a sympathetic ear.

Since Lord Bettman kept most information about current events from Conor, Tom took it upon himself to keep Conor up to date on all sorts of topics. The most important information Tom ever shared with Conor came one morning in early September: "The Court has announced a ball to find a partner for Prince Brian tonight!"

"Tonight?" Conor arched his eyebrows. "Seems kind of last minute."

"Apparently they couldn't decide on a theme for several months," Tom explained. "The final decision is a costume ball. Many people are annoyed that they don't have time to plan something, but it's good news for me - lots of people will be in the shop!"

"Then I'd better get going." Conor left the shop and returned to the manor, where he managed to find time between chores to dig around in his parents' old trunks for the makings of a costume. That night, under the cover of darkness, he snuck out to visit Tom again: "How does this look?"

"That's an excellent costume of a prince, but..." Tom frowned. "Walk a little, please?"

Conor complied, also frowning. "Is it that obvious that these shoes are too small?"

"It is. Sit down and I'll look at them." Tom examined them carefully, then shook his head. "These are the wrong material for my magic. I'm a nature magician, not an animal magician."

"Does that mean I'm stuck with these?"

"Of course not!" Tom picked up a pair of shoes from the shelf behind him. "I'm going to enchant these so they fit your feet and match your outfit. Just put them down."

Conor did as he was told. In just a few seconds, the shoes were properly enchanted! "Thank you, Tom. I'll wait here for you to change so we can go together."

"No, I'm not going. I don't like to dance." Tom smiled and opened the door. "It is nice that we're within walking distance of the palace, though. So get over there, have fun, and tell me all about it afterwards!"

"I will!" Conor set off towards the palace, grinning with excitement.

* * *

Prince Brian looked out at the crowd and sighed. "I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Accentuate the positive, Your Highness," suggested Big Rig the bodyguard. "You're looking for love, not political treaties. Nobody here will suggest a political treaty because they're all your subjects, so if you do meet anyone, it must be love!"

"True," the prince admitted, adjusting his pirate hat. "I must say, Big Rig, it seems odd that your costume incorporates your everyday shoes."

Big Rig laughed. "I never go anywhere without my best boots, Your Highness! This is just the full outfit!"

"And it's a very authentic cowbody outfit." Muzz, the court magician, walked up and bowed. "You will dance eventually, won't you, Your Highness?"

"Yes, Muzz," Prince Brian promised.

Christina, the royal historian/lawyer, walked up and bowed. "I leave you with the dogs, Your Highness. My husband has promised me the next dance - come along, Muzz!"

"Yes, dear." Muzz followed his wife to the dance floor, leaving two very cute Newfs panting at Prince Brian's feet.

"Have you had any treats yet, Leo and Beckham?" Prince Brian leaned down scratched their heads fondly. "I'm sure Big Rig will give you plenty."

"Darn tootin' I will!" Big Rig took some treats out of his pocket and dropped them to the ground, where the dogs ate them quickly. "Y'all are the very best boys!"

Chuckling softly, Prince Brian stood up - and gasped when he saw the beautiful man dressed in royal garb standing in the doorway. "You have my permission to withdraw, Big Rig."

"Have fun, Your Highness!" Big Rig called out as Prince Brian walked away.

Because everyone was in costumes, not a lot of people realized that the pirate making his way to the main staircase was Prince Brian. From what he could tell, the beautiful man didn't realize it, either. "Do you dance?" Prince Brian asked, hoping his height wasn't intimidating.

"Not really," the man said. "I'm not fond of loud music and lots of talking people."

"It's not so bad." Before Prince Brian could think of a response to the frown forming on the man's face, the Newfs came up to them in a chorus of happy barks. "I think they like you," he laughed.

"The feeling's mutual," the man said fondly, smiling again.

Then Prince Brian came up with an idea: "Would you like to join me in the garden outside? It's quieter there."

"I didn't know it was open tonight! Lead the way."

Prince Brian did so, shooing away the dogs so they would stay indoors. "I don't want them too far from their humans."

"Understandable." The man laughed as the Newfs tried to get outside. "I take it they know you well?"

"Leo and Beckham probably just want to sniff for magic out here," Prince Brian said. He lowered his gaze to the man's shoes, which were as green as the grass in the garden. "That's a lovely color."

"Thank you." The man was blushing when Prince Brian looked up again. "It's much nicer out here. Or maybe I'm just not used to crowds."

"No, it is nicer out here," Prince Brian agreed quickly. "Not so overwhelming." In fact, though he didn't want to be rude by pointing it out, the beautiful man's perfect omega scent was quite strong now that they were alone.

The Newfs ran up to them, sniffing and barking joyfully. "Want to play fetch?" The man picked up two nearby twigs and threw them a short distance, but the dogs didn't move. "Hey! It's not my fault I can't throw that far! I'm not exactly tall!"

It was true: the man was relatively short. However, Prince Brian didn't mind in the least. "Let's make it harder for them." He grabbed two other branches, tossed them farther away, then led the man in the opposite direction. "Now they have to work for it."

"Good idea - dang it!" The man sat down on one of the numerous benches. "I think there's a rock in my shoe or something."

Prince Brian sat down and watched the man unbuckle one of his shoes, shake out a rock, then put his shoe back on. "Do you need to buckle it?"

"No, it should be fine." The man chuckled as the Newfs came over with two sticks each. "Good job, boys!"

"Again!" Prince Brian tossed the sticks in different directions. The Newfs sniffed at the humans before running off. "Hopefully that keeps them busy."

"They do seem to like this area," the man observed. "Maybe there really is magic out here. Do you think so?"

"Perhaps." Prince Brian leaned towards the man. "What do you think?"

The man leaned a little closer - then suddenly jolted. "I'm sorry!"

"What?" Prince Brian blinked as the man stood up and ran towards the stairs leading out of the garden. "No, wait, please!"

"I can't!" The man stumbled on the stairs, looked back, then kept going.

Prince Brian poked his head back inside. "Big Rig! Hurry!"

He appeared in a matter of seconds. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"There's a man - an omega - stop him!" Prince Brian pointed to the edge of the royal grounds, where the man was barely visible. "Please, hurry!"

Big Rig nodded and took off running. "Stop, sir!"

Prince Brian waved over Muzz and Christina. "The ball's over. Send everyone home."

"It's only midnight," Muzz pointed out.

"Not the point." Christina gave Prince Brian a sympathetic smile, then looked at her husband. "If he wants it to be over, it's over."

"Thank you." Prince Brian turned around and sighed when he could no longer see the man or Big Rig. However, he did notice something on the stairs, so he sat down to investigate.

"It's a shoe," Christina observed as she came up to him. "I'll see what I can dig up in the archives." She walked away, leaving Prince Brian to stare at the shoe, now the only thing left of the man he'd almost kissed.

* * *

Eventually, Big Rig returned, panting heavily. "I'm real sorry, Your Highness. Completely lost track of him in the woods."

"Thank you for trying," Prince Brian replied. "You have my per-" He choked back a sob.

"Permission to withdraw?" Big Rig guessed. The prince managed to nod. "Thought so. Holler if you need me." With that, Big Rig walked off, leaving Prince Brian all alone.

The prince clenched his fists, willing himself not to cry. All he had was a shoe, which stood out against the rich black-and-gold carpet with its drab gray color.

...

DRAB GRAY COLOR?!

"Muzz!" He grabbed the shoe and ran towards the magician. "The shoe's magic!" He held it towards Leo and Beckham, who sniffed it and immediately started barking happily. "See??"

"That would explain why they kept trying to follow you," Muzz pointed out. "But what made you realize it just now? There was nothing magical about the young man himself - I would have noticed."

"The color changed! It's gray now, but it wasn't before!"

Muzz leaned forward. "What was it before?"

"Green - it reminded me of grass."

This made Muzz smile. "We're looking for a nature magician. There aren't many of those."

* * *

Conor woke up to a banging on his window. He opened it so a clearly agitated Tom could climb in. "What's got you so frazzled?"

"Read this!" Tom shoved his phone in Conor's face. "It's a forum for magicians in this area. This was posted about an hour ago."

The post read:

> URGENT - NATURE MAGICIAN SOUGHT  
>  An item enchanted by a single signature of nature magic was found at the Royal Ball this evening. While this item is clearly harmless, the Court wishes to speak directly with the magician who enchanted it. If you are this magician, please contact the Court directly as soon as possible. You are not in any trouble, but time is of the essence.  
>  Signed, Muzz of the Newfs, Court Magician to HRH Prince Brian

Conor gulped. "It came off when I was running away."

"Why were you running away?!"

"He was about to kiss me!"

"So?" Tom arched an eyebrow. "You've known you like guys at least as long as I've known you."

"Knowing that I like guys is one thing, but being moments away from getting kissed by a gorgeous guy with a perfect alpha scent is quite another!" Conor hissed.

"Ohhhh," Tom nodded. "You wanted him to claim you, not just kiss you."

"I still do," Conor admitted. "But I couldn't risk showing up here with a claiming mark."

Tom gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "If you want me to pretend I never saw this post, I can do that. I'm in no rush to meet the court magician, even if everyone says the magic-sniffing Newfs are adorable."

"They are." Conor smiled for the first time since he'd returned home. "Go ahead and say it was you."

"But what if they want me to lead them to you or something? I don't want you to get in trouble."

Conor thought about it for a moment. "I trust your judgement. If you think it'll get me in trouble, don't say my name. But...if you think there's any chance of me seeing that guy again, or at least knowing his name, then go for it."

"Okay." Tom gave Conor a quick hug. "I'll let you know how it goes." He climbed out of the window, leaving Conor to get the other shoe from its hiding place under a pile of old newspapers and get to work on a plan.

* * *

Prince Brian was jolted awake from a dream about the mysterious man by a knocking on the door. "Your Highness, the magician's here!" Big Rig called out.

"But not the omega himself?" Prince Brian guessed.

"I'm afraid not, but I reckon he'll help you get your man if you ask him real nice and polite-like."

With a groan, the prince walked out of the room, where Big Rig was waiting. "You do realize that the years you spent living down south gave you an unrealistic expectation of what 'polite' actually looks like?"

"Whatever you say, Your Highness," Big Rig said with a wink. "Let's go see about you getting your man."

They walked to the main hall, where Muzz, Christina, and the Newfs were waiting with a kind-faced man wearing a gray suit. "Your suit matches the shoe!" Prince Brian exclaimed as he took his seat.

"The shoe is my handiwork, Your Highness," the man nervously replied in a lightly accented voice. "I am Tom the Bold-Heeled, a native of the beautiful southern Kingdom of Bavaria in the German region."

"Southern kingdom are always the most beautiful of any region," Big Rig chimed in. "Once all this is figured out, I'd love to compare notes on your Bavaria and my Six-Flagged Kingdom of Texas."

This visibly relaxed Tom. "I would do so gladly."

Christina cleared her throat. "So, Tom, you yourself were not at the ball, but your shoes were."

"I don't like to dance, and I am uninterested in an Alpha husband - no disrespect meant, Your Highness."

"None taken," Prince Brian said quickly. "But who was the omega wearing the shoes?"

Tom looked nervous again. "He is a friend of mine in a...bad situation. I don't want to make things worse."

"How would becoming my husband make matters worse?!" Prince Brian said without thinking.

Everyone looked stunned. Tom reacted first: "He didn't realize you were the alpha with whom he...danced, Your Highness."

"My mistake," the prince sighed.

"No harm done, Your Highness." Tom smiled. "His name is Conor Sheary."

Christina dropped the files in her hand to the floor with a loud bang. "Sheary? Pronounced like the wine from Andalusia, not like the garden trimmers?"

"He told me when we met it was like the woman's name, but I suppose it's like the wine, too."

"When did you meet?" Christina asked.

"When I moved here from Bavaria about four years ago...why?"

Christina gulped. "Because Conor Sheary died alongside his parents about fifteen years ago."

* * *

The sun was just beginning to rise as Muzz drove down the road towards Sheary Manor. "That little omega man ran all this way at midnight?!"

"His relative lack of height is misleading," Tom replied. "And I suspect his fear gave him extra strength."

Prince Brian scowled at the thought of the man being so afraid. Once they reached the manor, he channeled his anger into banging on the door. "Open in the name of the Court!"

His command was obeyed. A man with a receding hairline opened the door and bowed low, causing the seams of his very ugly shirt to stretch a little. "Welcome to Sheer-ee Manor, my home sweet home."

Leo and Beckham started growling.

"They don't like liars. Or thieves. Or people with no sense of style," Muzz explained. "Be grateful they had way too many snacks last night and therefore aren't hungry."

"Gary Bettman, we demand that you bring your servant here at once," Christina ordered.

He blinked. "I have no servant."

"No, just the rightful owner of this castle whom you falsely reported as dead," Christina hissed. The man grew pale as Christina snapped her fingers twice. "Newfs, go search!"

They sniffed around for a few moments, then ran down the hallway to a small door. Despite Bettman's obvious nervousness, nobody stopped the dogs from charging through the door, revealing a messy stock room of sorts. The dogs barked happily as they tackled a makeshift bed in the corner of the room.

"Hi, boys," the occupant of the bed said between licks and nudges. He stood up, saw who was standing in the doorway, and bowed. "Your Highness, I welcome you to Sheary Manor."

"See?" Christina said. "Share-ee, not Sheer-ee. He clearly isn't dead." 

"So you're Conor?" Prince Brian asked.

Conor straightened. "Yes, Your Highness..." He blinked, rubbed his eyes, pinched himself, and blinked again. "Your Highness?!"

"Yes, I am Prince Brian," he confirmed with a soft smile. "I'm sorry for not saying so at the ball. I was..."

"So was I," Conor admitted, returning the soft smile. He quickly frowned: "What did you say about not being dead?"

"Fifteen years ago, it was officially recorded that Lord Sheary, Lady Sheary, and Conor Sheary all died in a car accident," Muzz explained. "Since the manor didn't have to be kept in the family for you, this scumbag was able to claim it along with the lordship just by being an alpha."

"The laws need changing," Prince Brian said. "I'll fix them as a wedding present for you, but first...Big Rig!"

The royal guard stepped forward, his spurs clinking ominously. "I reckon you want me to arrest this dirty rotten scoundrel, Your Highness?"

"Exactly."

With a slightly maniacal grin, Big Rig grabbed Bettman by the collar. "Sun's not shining for you anymore, you b-"

"NO CURSING IN FRONT OF THE DOGS!" Muzz ordered.

"Sorry, pardner!" Big Rig dragged Bettman away.

The dogs turned their attention to Conor's bed. "You have either something magic or something edible in there," Muzz chuckled.

"Both, actually." Conor took out the shoe, which was stuffed with doggy treats. "I thought it'd be helpful to bribe the dogs, but apparently that was unnecessary."

"True, but a reward for a job well done is certainly very necessary!" Prince Brian rubbed the dogs' heads fondly. "These are the two best boys in the whole kingdom! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"

"And don't you forget it, Your Highness." Muzz snapped his fingers. "Eat up, boys!" The dogs pounced on the shoe, causing everyone to laugh. 

Prince Brian cleared his throat. "So, Lord Sheary..."

"Please, just call me Conor, Your Highness."

"Very well, then, Conor." Prince Brian smiled softly. "Would you like to walk with me somewhere more secluded?"

Conor nodded, blushing bright red. "It would be an honor, Your Highness."

"Please, just call me Brian." He held out his hand, which Conor accepted. "Muzz, please don't follow us!"

"Try not to scar the dogs, Your Highness!"

Brian groaned. "Ignore him," he told Conor, whose blush was growing even deeper. "Where's a good place to sit and talk?"

"In the yard, Y- Brian." Conor led him out of the building and to a large tree.

"Perfect." They sat beneath its branches. "May I kiss you?"

Conor's answer was to kiss Brian himself. It started out soft, but quickly grew intense.

When they reluctantly pulled apart for air, Conor arched his neck so Brian could nuzzle it in preparation for the claiming bite. "I never thought I'd get to do this," he whispered to the prince. "I'm so glad I got that rock in my shoe."

"So am I," Brian whispered back. "So am I."

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is love! Thanks for reading! =D


End file.
